New Mobile Video Services On The Way From Rok, Verizon

MVNO Rok Mobile, a cellular MVNO that offers a mobile music-streaming service, will branch out with an all-you-can eat video service, the company announced during CTIA’s Super Mobility 2015 show.

Separately, Verizon Communications, parent of Verizon Wireless, said it launched a private, invitation-only trial of Go90, a new “mobile-first” ad-supported service targeted primarily to millennials. It will let users view video, including live and on-demand streams, anywhere in the U.S. via an app for Apple and Android-powered mobile devices that work on any carriers’ network. For more on the Verizon development, see this Multichannel News story.

For its part, Rok Mobile will launch its video service as an add-on to its single rate plan, which includes unlimited talk, text, 5G of LTE data, and unlimited access to its own music-streaming service.

To launch the service, the company is teaming up with SeaChange, which provides back-end video-on-demand services to cable providers.

The service will feature thousands of Hollywood and international movies and television series, niche content from cult TV and movies, anime, animation for young adults, extreme sports, and curated short-form content, ROK said. Pricing was not revealed.

Phones and tablets have become the first video screen for millions of people and they’re not turning back,” said Jay Samit, CEO of SeaChange.

Said Rok chairman Jonathan Kendrick, “There are many different mobile service providers out there as well as numerous options for streaming films and video, but with our service we can offer them together in one affordable service.”

Earlier this year, the MVNO launched a $49.99/month plan that includes unlimited talk and text, 5GB of LTE data, and unlimited data after that at a speed of 256kbps. The price also includes the company’s ad-free Rok Music streaming service, which accesses more than 20 million songs on demand and includes streaming radio channels that users can personalize based on artist, track or album. The service enables off-line listening through downloads.

The startup, which began offering service last year through its website, has begun to target sales through wireless-specialty outlets.